Wiltshire, Alphonso shine bright at Junior Squash C/ships

After high hopes and heightened adrenaline, the young Guyanese squash players have made their mark at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston, Jamaica.
Michael Alphonso got the ball rolling with a string of blemish-less games. He flattened Bermuda’s Ethan Roserea 11-1, 11-1, 11-1; Jamaica’s Aman Dhiman 11-5, 11-0, 11-1 and Barbados’ Alex Stewart 11-7, 11-1, 6-11, 11-7. His last opponent came in the form of Aidan Parris also of Barbados; he defeated him 3-11, 10-12, 3-11 to be crowned the Caribbean’s Under-13 champion.
Being the top seed in his group, no less than first place was expected from Shomari Wiltshire and that is exactly what the young man delivered. He played three clean games, winning every set in ample time to demolish Cayman Islands’ Pierce Terry 11-1, 11-1, 11-1; Bermuda’s Matthew Elliott 11-2, 11-1, 11-2, and Barbados’ Darien Benn [2] 11-3, 11-3, 11-9.
Following closely behind Wiltshire was Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, who managed to cop third place in the same Under-15 category. He outplayed Jamaica’s Rhys Greenland 11-1, 11-3, 11-1; Cayman Islands’ Jace Jervis 11-8, 12-10, 11-8 and Bermuda’s Matthew Elliott 6-11, 5-11, 12-14, but had the tables turned on him by Barbados’ Darien Benn, who defeated him 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 3-11.
Abosaide Cadogan barely missed out on Under-15 girls glory after she lost 1-11, 11-5, 11-5, 4-11, 9-11 to Barbados’ Sumirra Suleman, who eventually took first place. However, Cadogan crushed Bermuda’s Ariana Lowther 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 and her Guyanese teammate Kirsten Gomes 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 in order to take second place.
Despite losing out to Cadogan, Gomes had some glory of her own when she played tirelessly to cop third place. She defeated Shaelah Henry of the Cayman Islands 11-0, 11-2, 11-3 and Guyanese Madison Fernandes 11-1, 11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 11-3. Fernandes placed fourth in that category.
Coming in third place in his Under-19 category was Rithew Saywack. He won encounters against Jamaica’s Luke Roberts 8-11, 4-11, 4-11; Jamaica’s Adam Ardito 11-1, 11-7, 11-3 and Guyana’s Alexander Cheeks 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, but lost to Barbados’ Josiah Griffith 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-2.
Young Christina Fernandes also made her mark in the Under-11 category with a bronze medal. She won encounters against Samantha Azan 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10; Bermuda’s Taliah Wade 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 4-11, 11-9 and Jamaican Maher Trehan 11-7, 11-2, 7-11, 6-11, 11-8. However, she lost encounters with Jamaican Elle Wilson 10-12, 13-15, 11-13 and Barbadian Phoebe Gittens 3-11, 10-12, 2-11.
The competition will continue over the next few days with the staging of the team competition. So far, Barbados is in a prime position to take home the trophy having won the Girls Under-11, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and the Boys Under-19 and Under-17 individual prizes.